1689 LBCF 24:2
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Introduction and Qualifiers
Pray
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
XXIV
CIVIL GOVERNMENT
Review:
Paragraph One Answered Two Fundamental Questions:
1.) Provenance
2.) Purpose
1.) Where does authority come from:
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
24:1
2.) Purpose: (Answered in Two Parts)
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
...for His own glory and the public good.
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
For this purpose He has armed them with the power of the sword, to defend and encourage those who do good and to punish evildoers
We saw both of those in Romans 13:
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,
4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
Any Questions about last time?
-Paragraph 2:
We’ll read it in its entirety...
...and then come back and break it down.
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
24:2
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
In performing their office they must especially maintain justice and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each kingdom or other political entity.
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
To carry out these duties they are authorized now under the New Testament to wage war in just and necessary situations
As you can see, there’s a lot in that.
I’m not sure if we’ll...
...make it through it all or not...
But, we’ll give her a go!
-This is the first proposition of Paragraph 2:
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
24:2
So, the first proposition...
...is a simple affirmation...
...of the general propriety of...
...Christian service in Civil Government.
Now, for us, this may seem...
...quite unworthy of making it into...
...a Confession of our Faith.
But, there’s some important background information, here...
...that we need to be aware of...
...and that helps us understand...
...why our Baptist forefathers...
...chose to specify it:
Consider this from John Price:
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 The Lawfulness of a Christian Fulfilling the Office of Civil Magistrate
The need to address this concern has roots in the history of the church. There have been sects of Christians who have denied that a believer should have any involvement in civil government.
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 The Lawfulness of a Christian Fulfilling the Office of Civil Magistrate
The followers of Menno Simmons in the Netherlands in the sixteenth century would not allow the members of their churches to perform any office in the civil government.
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 The Lawfulness of a Christian Fulfilling the Office of Civil Magistrate
Others, such as the German Anabaptists of the sixteenth century, rejected the usefulness of civil government to the Christians and believed it was “of the devil.
Why would they think such things?
Taking statements like these...
...out of context...
...Isolating them from the rest of scripture:
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Sam Waldron says this:
Our Baptist forefathers were not Anabaptists. It was Anabaptists who taught that Christians could not occupy the office of the civil magistrate without sin...
Clearly, our Baptist forefathers completely rejected such a view of government and the resultant pacifism it implied. They publicly distanced themselves from it in their Confession of faith.
It is appropriate to note here that the mainstream of Baptists in America are descended from Puritans who came to Baptist convictions, not Anabaptists.
Most modern Baptists are historically Calvinist in their origin, not Anabaptist and Arminian. — Waldron
-So, who’s right?
The Particular Baptists?
The Anabaptists?
How do we know?
Where should we look?
Think about some of the things...
...that we looked at last week...
...that should have already answered that:
21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings...
17 ...the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will...
1 ...there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
What do we see in those?
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
24:1
Furthermore, God explicitly...
Designed
Commanded
...a particular Civil Government for the Nation of Israel...
...and commanded their participation in it!
18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.
20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Not only that, God providentially...
...placed his people in positions of Civil Governments...
...OUTSIDE of the framework of...
...the Old Covenant Civil Law:
7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.
8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.
49 Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon...
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
God did that!
Do God’s Moral Standards Change?
Do His Moral Perfections Change?
6 “For I the Lord do not change...
So, it’s hard to say...
...that Civil Government is inherently evil, right?
-Similarly, we see the civil magistrates...
...being spoken of with exalted descriptions:
Think about the tone here:
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed...
4 for he is God’s servant for your good . . . he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
6 ...the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.
Taxes!
Peter, after saying this:
13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme,
14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
Went on to say this:
17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”
If the office were inherently evil...
...these wouldn’t make any sense!
-Here’s another good example:
17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.
20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
He affirmed the propriety of Caesar’s authority!
-I’ve saved the best for last:
2 ...the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him...
8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance...
10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”
11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”
Now, watch this:
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
He didn’t say stop working for the government, did he?
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”
Here’s the best one:
14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?”
Did he direct them to resign from that...
...inherently evil institution?
And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
So, I ask again:
Who’s right?
The Anabaptists (Amish/Mennonite)?
The Particular Baptists (Our true forefathers)?
I’d say there’s no contest.
The Bible clearly shows that..
...that first clause holds true:
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
24:2
Questions?
-Now, the propriety of holding and conducting office...
...having been established...
...the Confession goes to the logical next issue:
Second Sentence in Paragraph 2:
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
In performing their office
How do they conduct themselves?
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
...
The Biblical evidence here is abundant:
21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
22 And let them judge the people at all times...
18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
19 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.
20 Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.
16 If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing,
17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days.
18 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely,
19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
20 And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you.
21 Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
16...judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him.
17 You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s...
1 God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
And again, there’s Luke 3:12-14
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”
14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
-Finally, the Confession says this:
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
In performing their office they must especially maintain justice and peace,
Price explains:
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 The Main Duty of the Civil Magistrate
The writers of the Confession recognized that in the New Testament there is no theocracy as there was in the Old Testament in which the civil laws of the nation were given directly from God.
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 The Main Duty of the Civil Magistrate
Under the New Testament, there will be kingdoms and commonwealths which will have “wholesome laws.”
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 The Main Duty of the Civil Magistrate
The word “wholesome” refers to that which is “favorable to morals, religion, or prosperity; conducive to public happiness, virtue, or peace.”
A New Exposition of the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 The Main Duty of the Civil Magistrate
Wherever such wholesome laws exist, it is the duty of the magistrate to uphold and carry them out, according to his office and authority
Now, what’s the negative implication of that?
“unwholesome laws” should not be enforced!
Sometimes you have to take a stand!
And it may cost you a lot!
Consider a few examples from Scripture:
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold...
4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
5 that when you hear the sound of . . . music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”
12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Their response:
18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives...
16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him...
17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live...
20 So God dealt well with the midwives...
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them,
28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
Why?
Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXIV. Civil Government
24:1
Questions?
We’ll look at Christian Just War Theory next time!
Pray
